Hero’s Bridge Battle Buddy Call Center is celebrating fielding over 400 calls from veterans since it opened on June 1 last year.
The call center was established to address the needs of America’s aging veterans and has served veterans in 32 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
The call center was swiftly developed after Hero’s Bridge received more than 300 phone calls in 48 hours following a feature in a veteran’s blog. Modeled after the organization’s Battle Buddy program, the call center pairs elderly veterans with younger veterans or military family members for virtual in-home services.
“No matter where they’re living, our senior heroes deserve to live in dignity,” Hero’s Bridge founder and CEO Molly Brooks said in the release. “The mission of the Battle Buddy Call Center is to ensure that not one of our older veterans is forced to live in social isolation, in substandard housing, or experience food insecurity.”
The Battle Buddy Call Center employs a mix of virtual contacts and technology to deliver personalized assistance. After a quality-of-life assessment, older veterans are paired with younger “Battle Buddy” veterans or military family members who provide virtual support. The program also refers veterans to other Hero’s Bridge programs, state and federal Veterans Affairs benefits and community partners.
Volunteers from AG Grind Masters (two on left) and The Firewood Guy drove out to David Moore’s property to assist with some outdoor work. Provided | David Moore
Vietnam-era Army veteran David Moore reached out to the call center 16 days after its launch, struggling with yard maintenance and winter preparations due to his health and the summer heat. Virtual Battle Buddy Call Center Coordinator Rachel Brown mobilized local volunteers to assist Moore.
On August 12, volunteers from The Firewood Guy and AG Grind Masters arrived at Moore’s home to prepare him for winter.
“A man that I really admire told me a few weeks ago, no matter the costs, you will never go broke helping people in need,” the businesses said, sharing their experience on Facebook. “This morning we packed up the Wolfe Ridge splitters and me and pops went down to Randolph County to help a Vietnam veteran and his wife knock out their woodpile and make sure they have heat for the winter.”
Moore appreciated the volunteers’ efforts, stating, “The whole team worked very diligently and got a great deal done. I hope to get the word out [about Hero’s Bridge call center] to other veterans who may need help.”
Hero’s Bridge is a nonprofit organization focused exclusively on providing rapid and direct assistance to aging veterans. Those interested in volunteering as a Battle Buddy can visit herosbridge.org/volunteer for more information.
Veterans seeking assistance can contact the Hero’s Bridge Battle Buddy Call Center hotline at 866-OLD-VETS (866-653-8387), available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
Read the story on Rappahannock News.